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EL DON. 



hamed, in 1775, whence be removed, 1788, to Got- 

 tingen. Being an excellent oriental scholar, he begun, 

 about the same time as Michaelis.to subject thebible 

 to .t more minute scrutiny. The critical study of the 

 original text led him in his introduction to the 

 New Testament, to start a new and ingenious hy- 

 pothesis on the origin of the Gospels. There ex- 

 isted, Eichhorn asserts, an original document in the 

 Aramaic language, from which the three first Gos- 

 pels have been drawn : it contained but a short 

 narrative of the principal transactions of Jesus 

 Christ, from his baptism to his death, not in a 

 chronological order, but composed from communi- 

 cations made by the apostles. This groundwork 

 formed the materials from which those apostles, 

 who had an intention to write, constructed a more 

 complete history. The hypothesis has been introduc- 

 ed into this country by the bishop of Peterborough. 

 The two last volumes of this Introduction ap- 

 peared only a short time before Eichhorn's death. 

 The hypothesis itself, although, indeed, more spe- 

 cious and dazzling than natural and satisfactory, 

 has had this beneficial result, that it set the theo- 

 logians, not only of Germany, but also of other 

 countries, at work, and most important and useful 

 researches have been made in consequence of it. 

 On the other hand, this elaborate criticism has, 

 unfortunately, occasioned in this country the con- 

 demnation of German divinity altogether. Eich- 

 horn distinguished himself not only as an oriental- 

 ist and divine, but also as an historian and biblio- 

 grapher. He published a " History of Litera- 

 ture, from its Beginning to the Latest Times," in 

 11 vols. ; a "General History of Culture and 

 Literature of Modern Europe," in 2 vols. ; a 

 " History of Eloquence, in the Modern Languages," 

 in 3 vols. ; a " History of the Three Last Cen- 

 turies," in 6 vols. ; besides a " General Library of 

 Biblical Literature," in 10 vols. : and a " Reper- 

 torium of Biblical and Oriental Literature," in 18 

 vols. ; an " Introduction to the Old Testament," 

 in 5 vols. ; and the " Introduction to the New 

 Testament," of which we have spoken, also in 5 

 vols. He translated also the Hebrew Prophets, in 

 3 vols. From this list, which is far from being 

 complete, our readers may form an idea of the in- 

 defatigable labours of the German divine. He was 

 also the editor of the Goettingen Anzeigen. He 

 enjoyed the highest reputation all over Germany, 

 and wa? on terms of the most intimate friendship 

 with all his colleagues at Gottingen. From the 

 gradual decline of his strength, he felt the approach 

 of death with the most imperturbable tranquillity, 

 and he remarked, in the last hour, to his friend, 

 the anatomist Langenbeck, and the celebrated pro- 

 fessor Blumenbach, as a point of physiological curi- 

 osity, how he felt by degrees the vital spirit with- 

 drawing from the different parts of the body, and, 

 only a quarter of an hour before he breathed his 

 last, he yet distinctly stated that life was becoming 

 extinct in the spina dorsi. He died on the 25th of 

 June, 1827. His son, also professor at Gottingen, 

 has distinguished himself by an excellent work 

 "on the History of the German Law." 



ELDON, JOHN SCOTT, EARL OF,' for twenty- 

 five years Lord High Chancellor of England, was 

 the third and youngest son of William Scott, 

 hoastman, or coal-fitter, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 

 Nearly six years the junior of his brother lord 

 Stowell, he was born on the 4th of June 1751 ; 

 which, being the birthday of his old master and 

 kind friend, George III., the king was wont to 



say "Do not speak to me, Lord Eldon, till I 

 nave, paid my respects to you on your birth-(la\ ." 

 He received his youthful education" at the gramnmr- 

 scbool of Newcastle ; and at the early age of fif- 

 teen was sent to the university of Oxford, lie 

 was elected fellow of university, July 11, 1707; 

 proceeded to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Fell. 

 JO, 1770; and gained the dianrdlor's prize, "On 

 the Advantages and Disadvantages of Foreign 

 Travel," in 1771. He proceeded to the degree of 

 M. A. Feb. 13, 1773, having been admitted a mem- 

 ber of the Middle Temple on the 28th of the pre- 

 ceding month. With the exception of keeping 

 term, he resided, however, in or near Oxfoid. 

 The vacations were spent at the house of hi.s 

 friend Mr Lane, at Mill-end near Henley. During 

 this time, in order to increase his income, he took 

 a part in the tuition of University college, lie 

 also read lectures as the deputy of Sir Robert 

 Chambers, the Vinerian professor of common law. 

 This was from 1774 to 1776; on the 9th Feb. in 

 the latter year he was called to the bar, and quitted 

 Oxford for the metropolis. He gave his attention 

 principally to conveyancing, and the practice of the 

 courts of equity ; but, after some years of labori- 

 ous study, his prospects were so discouraging, that 

 he resolved to quit London, and practise as a pro- 

 vincial counsel in his native town. But in the 

 spring of 1781, he was retained to argue ;i 

 before a committee of the house of commons, and 

 the ability which he manifested was soon circulated 

 through the profession, with the report that he 

 had resolved to leave London. Mr Mansfield and 

 Mr Wilson, two of the most eminent counsel, con- 

 jured him not to quit Westminster Hall. They 

 assured him that his success was certain ; and Mr 

 Wilson (afterwards a judge of the common pleas) 

 added, that the want of money ought not to deter 

 him, for the assistance of many was ready to be 

 proffered, and that he had the small sum of 500, 

 which he was desirous to invest on this certain 

 security. This kind offer, which was made on Mr 

 Scott's return from the committee-room to his 

 house, he was not under the necessity to accept, 

 as from that period all his wants were supplied, 

 and more than supplied, by his own exertions. 

 Shortly after, he became the leader on the northern 

 circuit. The great lord Thurlow soon understood, 

 and therefore appreciated, his abilities; he would 

 have bestowed upon him a mastership in chancery, 

 which, however, Mr Scott declined. His powers 

 now became manifest, and in 1783 a patent of pre- 

 cedence was granted him by lord Loughborough, 

 then first commissioner of the great seal. In the 

 same year, Mr Scott was introduced into parlia- 

 ment, upon lord Weymouth's interest, for the bor- 

 ough of Weobly, for which he continued to sit 

 until 1796. As a parliamentary speaker, his merit 

 was considered inferior to his professional abilities 

 as a pleader. There was a want of that warmth 

 arid animation that bold declamatory vehemence, 

 that distinguish the senatorial from the forensic 

 orator. His speeches were always shrewd and 

 clear addressed to the understanding rather than 

 the fancy impressive, but not sufficiently animat- 

 ed. In the month of June, 1788, he was appointed 

 solicitor general, and was knighted an honour 

 which it appears he was desirous of declining, but 

 it was insisted upon by his majesty. Only one in- 

 stance had then occurred of a solicitor-general 

 being knighted since 1723, though subsequently it 

 has become customary. Shortly after this time, 



